Politics

Libertarians Pick Bob Barr

Denver â€” Georgia’s Bob Barr won a long and tense battle Sunday for the 2008 Libertarian Party’s presidential nomination and now faces the daunting task of doing what no third-party candidate has done: Win in November.

It took six ballots and nearly five hours of voting at the Libertarian National Convention before the former four-term congressman defeated Texas business consultant Mary Ruwart for the party’s bid.

Barr, who until 2006 was a Republican, took 54 percent of the vote after Las Vegas odds-maker Wayne Allyn Root dropped out following the fifth ballot and endorsed Barr. Delegates subsequently selected Root to be Barr’s running mate.

So, can he capture a segment of the Ron Paul supporters who want to actually vote for somebody on the ballot instead of just writing somebody in?

And more important, will Barr be McCain’s Nader? Can he strip away enough fiscal conservatives to make a difference in some key states?